Surrey Police Service members offered bonus vacation hours to stay on payroll

The chief of the Surrey Police Service has offered a vacation incentive to its officers if they remain with the municipal force, which Mayor Brenda Locke has pledged to disband in favour of keeping the RCMP.

CTV News has learned 180 SPS officers have been offered 80 retention bonus hours, a promise that can only be kept if the SPS is ultimately chosen as the police force of jurisdiction. The extra hours equal roughly two weeks of extra vacation per member and expire within five years. The bonus, according to the SPS, is to make up for the stresses faced by officers due to the uncertainty created by the debate over policing in the city.

For her part, Locke says the offer of bonus vacation time is concerning and that residents will be left to foot the bill.

“I asked the chief to give me a briefing on that and I’m waiting to hear from him,” Locke said.

"There’s no word on much exactly the incentive would cost taxpayers," she added.

The bonus did not need police board approval because it’s considered a labour relations issue, a spokesperson for the SPS said.

“Retention of SPS members is integral for public safety in Surrey. The Surrey RCMP and Surrey Police Service have a shared reliance on SPS police officers to ensure the success of their respective plans. The City of Surrey’s progress report detailed their reliance on SPS officers for their success,” said Ian MacDonald.

The move to keep SPS officers on board comes as the city says 15 SPS officers have been hired by the RCMP or are in the process of "patching over." The city also claims another 81 have indicated they will make the same move.

It’s a number the SPS disputes, saying a total of 16 officers have left since 2020.

The transition to a civic force, initiated by former mayor Doug McCallum, faced fierce opposition from a minority of city councillors and some residents during his tenure. Locke campaigned and won on a promise to halt the transition and go back to the RCMP. That promise is proving somewhat difficult to keep and has yet to come to fruition, with the province making a recommendation to keep the SPS and Locke countering with a city plan to keep the RCMP.

Public safety minister Mike Farnworth said he has not made a decision on the city's plan.

“I must be satisfied that the City of Surrey’s plan will ensure effective and adequate policing is maintained in Surrey and throughout the province,” the minister said in a statement to CTV News, adding that he can not offer a timeline for his decision beyond saying it will come "soon."